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When it’s a postcard. No really, paper is back. But we’re not going as far back as tweets printed on ticker-tape. Thanks to at800, the humble postcard is the latest way to reach the friends and relatives you’ve not yet been able to drag kicking and screaming into the 21st century world of Twitter.

at800 has launched the UK’s first and only free postbox for your tweets. Of course, it’s not done out of the kindness of their hearts. What lies behind this clever wheeze is at800’s campaign to minimise the disruption that the rollout of 4G at 800 MHz may cause to Freeview services. at800 are in the process of sending out their own postcards to the households where signals may be affected. In the areas where disruption is likely, they will also be supplying free filters to block the 4G signal at 800 MHz and ensure Freeview services are unaffected.

If you like gimmicks that help spread the word then send a free postcard to a non-tweep. They must be living in an area where 4G at 800 MHz will soon be activated (you can check this on at800’s website). If they are then it’s as simple as sending a tweet with the hashtag #at800postbox and then following @at800tv so that they can DM you for address details. Your lucky recipient will then receive a postcard (yes, on paper!) with your neat little tweet on it (and of course lots of useful info about how at800 can help stop you missing the latest episode of Jeremy Kyle).

You may be wondering who I sent my postcard tweet to. I tried to think of someone for whom the loss of television would be a right royal pain in the behind. Someone like me: a parent. I hope my postcard spares her some stress and a few tantrums.

Thank you to at800 for inviting me to write about their postcard campaign. I did not receive any payment for doing this. Full information and a stack load of FAQs can be found on at800’s website.